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"And? What did you see?"

"And he ith this guy" I put downup a Meure in dark aral Warcross gaht "Is this Zero?"

I nod, tapping the table twice "I’m almost certain it was him He was hidden behind an ar out a lot of information to what seemed to be his followers in the Pirate’s Den Dozens of followers This is no lone operation"

"What kind of infor out?"

"Coordinates of cities Look" I pull up the list of nu the syste to his followers Then I bring up a virtualthe coordinates across it My finger stops at the coordinates 3568, 13968 "And this--Tokyo--was the city that Ren answered for Maybe everyone else also responded based on whatever city they’re physically located in"

Hideo’s eyes narrow as he analyzes the locations "These cities are where the largest dolances at s he has already conducted before this?"

I shake roup I need another encounter with Zero to get a better sense of what all thisames start are slim"

Hideo shakes his head once "You won’t need to We’ll bring hiame happens on April fifth We already know he and his folloill be watching it, and that Ren will be the one assigned to the dome event in Tokyo It’s likely he will be in direct, encrypted coaa on you in the first official game Force Ren to interact with you in the middle of it, and it will disable the shields that protect him It will expose any data between hioing to plant on me?"

Hideo s it over, and his thuh me at his warm touch Then he esture in the air My data appears between us, the text glowing a faint blue I look on in fascination as he weaves ht beforeit into the equivalent of a noose

"What is it?" I ask

"A snare Grab his wrist at any point during the gah his security and expose his data for you" Then he takes ain and wraps the trap around ainstabout the gesture feels nostalgic, and suddenly I can seecheerfully to hiainst his wrist, a half-empty wine bottle nearby, the floor around him cluttered with sequins and rea momentarily vulnerable "Will do," I say

Hideo’s expression wavers He studies ht?"

"I’ so obvious Just a memory, that’s all And I’m about to say this to him in order to brush it away--but then I look up,"I was re at ths of fabric by wrapping theht the shift in my tone "Used to?" he says softly

I look down, concentrating on the table "It’s been a while since he died"

Hideo is quiet for a long moment There’s a familiarity in his look, a beat of silence shared by everyone who has ever experienced loss One of his hands tightens and loosens I watch the bruises on his knuckles shift "Your father was an artist," he finally says

I nod "Dad used to shake his head and wonder where the hell I got my love for numbers from"

"And your mother? What does she do?"

Myon helplessly as she laced up her boots and adjusted her silk scarf While Dad spoke to her in a low, sad voice, I stared up in awe at the silver handle of her suitcase, the perfection of her nails, the silky blackness of her hair I can still feel her s it once, twice, then pulling aithout any reluctance She’s so beautiful, I re The door closed behind her without a sound Not long afterward, Dad’s ga habit started